Centrifugally-operated circuit breaker



Dec. 1, 1925. I Q 1,563,773

G. w. MEYERS CENTRIFUGALLY OPERATED CIRCUIT BREAKER Fi led Aug. 20. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 1,1925. I 1,563,773

G. w. MEYERS CENTRIFUGALLY OPERATED CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Aug. 20. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Deca 1, 1%25.

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v titans GEORGE WASHINGTON MEYERS, OF BAHXVAY, NEW 3' BIB/$1511", A$$IGNOR TO NATIONAL ENEUMATIC COMPANY, OF NEW Y BK, N. Y A CORPORATION OF WEST VIE! GINIA CENTEIFUGALLY-OP ERATED CIRCUIT BBEAmEh To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l GEORGE 'W. Mnvnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Railway, county of Union, State of New Jersey, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Centrifugally-Operated Circuit Breakers of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to centrifugally operated circuit breakers- T he object of the invention. is to provide a circuit breaker which is centrifugally operated and which is simple in construction and eilicient in. operation. it; A further object of the invention is to provide a circuit breaker designed to maintain an electriccircuit open as long as a part or member is motion and to automatically close the circuit when said part w or member comes to rest.

[Ether obects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in 3 construction, combination. location and relative arrangement of parts all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth as shown ipanying drawings and finally ed out in appended claims.

eferring to the accompanying draw Elli of a centrifugally operated circuit breaker to the control of an electric circuit.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

1n the operation of various lrinds of machinery and devices it is frequently neces sary and desirable to control electric circuits according to the speed or the movement of a part or a member. For example it is frequently desirable and necessary to prevent the operation of the throttle valve on a steam locomotive until it is safe for the locomotive to be operated, for instance, until all the doors of the train to which the locomotive is connected are closed. Likewise it is desirable as a matter of safety to prevent the doors of a street car from being opened so long as the car is in motion, whether the motion be derived from the operation of the propelling motor of from coasting or down-grade operation.

It is among the special purposes of my, present invention to provide a circuit 0011- I trolling device or circuit breaker which is centrifugally operated. or controlled and which is effective to maintain open the circuit so long as a part or member is in rota tion or movement. 1: carryingout my invention ll employ a carrier or device consisting of the annular disc members l, 5, placed fiatwise each other suitably bolted together. These members are formed on their opposed faces with complementary chambers in which ceived the annular ri gs 6 7 of insula material which f on. their op faces with complementary spherical sea recesses 8 in each of which is arranger contact ball or member The insu in rings '6 encompass nular ring mo 10 of insulating material in which are seated but insulater. through each other conductor rings 11, l These latter pro suiiiciently into sph seats 8 to 'per unit the contact conduc lie 9 therein, bridge the space betwthem in cert positions of the carrier when said can is at rest. fine of the conductor w 12 is in electrical connection throughconductor 13 with a grounded framework. The other conductor ring 11 is in electrical connection with pin or bolt 14: extending I through the longitudinal bore of an insulating plug or spool 16 which extends into the outer face of the member at of the carrier at the centre thereof and the inner end of which is offset from the member 42 by m ans of a fibre plug 1?. The outer end of the pin 14 is formed with a spherical head 18 which is encompassed by a boss 19 forming part of a hanger for a dependent weight 520. The spherical head 18 is held in place in a spherical seat formed in the boss 19 by a cap ring 21 which likewise has formed therein a complementary spherical seat to receive the ball 18. The electric circuit to be completed by the circuit breaker device is connected to the boss 19 as at 22.

The provision of the pendulum weight 20 lOil to the boss of which is connected one tervice sometimes employed in like situations.

By the weighted pendulum device the ter-.

minal 22 is permitted to remain in proper position notwithstanding the rotation of the shaft or part to which the carrier member is connected.

I have shown a centrifugally operated carrier device connected to the shaft 23 which may be the shaft of a motor or any device upon the movements of which the control of an electric circuit is dependent.

In one form of practical application of circuit breaker embodying my invention I have a device employed to controlthe circuit of a magnet 24 which when energized controls a circuit closer 25 controlling-the circuit of a lock mechanism indicated at 26.

the details of which form no part of the present invention.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I. provide an exceedingly simple rugged centrifugally operated circuit breaker for circuit control device which is inexpensive to manufacture and eflioient in operation and which maintains an electric circuit open as long as the member 23 to which the carrier'is'connected is in operation but which closes the circuit when the carrier device comes to a state of rest.

A centrifugally operated circuit controlled device embodying my invention is adapted for use in many relations and in connection with various machines where safety of operation is desirable to be attained.

Having now .set forth the objects and the I nature and the construction embodying the principles of Tmy invention," what I claim is new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a centrifugally operated circuit breaker, the combination with a rotating shaft, of a member mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith, said member having a circumferentially extending channel therein, an insulation ring in said channel, conductor rings carried in said insulation ring, said insulation ring being provided with pockets in which said conductor rings are exposed for electrical contact and means in said pockets for bridging said conductor rings. I v

2. In a centrifugally operated circuit breaker, ,the combination with -a rotating shaft, of a member mounted on 'said shaft Y to rotate therewith comprising a pair of disc members havin means to form an annular chamber, a pair of insulation rings in said chamber having spherical pockets, separated conductor rings'icarried in said insulation rings and exposed in said pockets and means for establishing circuit connection between said conductor rings whensaid connection when said shaft is revolving.

3. The combination with a pair of discs each provided with an annular groove in the inner face thereof and a current conducting member located in said groove but insulated from the disc, means for securing said discs together, said grooves co-operating to form an annular channel with the conducting members out of contact with each other, of a plurality of metal balls loosely enclosed by said discs in said annular channel, and co-operating means carried by said discs for enclosing each individual ball.

4. The combination with a rotary shaft, of a centrifugally operated circuit control device mounted thereon to rotate therewith including separated contactsinoluded in an electric circuit, a circuit conducting member in circuit connection with one of said contacts and mounted to rotate with said shaft, said conducting member terminating in a ball, a socket for said ball and means for conducting current to said socket.

5. The combination with a rotary shaft, of a centrifugally operated circuit control device mounted thereon to rotate therewith including separated contacts included in an electric circuit, a circuit conducting member in circuit connection with one of said contacts and mounted to rotate with said shaft, said conducting member .terminating in a ball, a socket for said ball and means for conducting current to said socket, and means for maintaining said socket connection stationary when said shaft is rotated.

6. The combination with a rotary shaft,

7. In a centrifugally operated circuit 2 breaker, the combination with a rotating shaft, of a member mounted on to rotate therewith, said member having a circumferentially extending channel therein, annular insulating members within said channel provided with spherical seats, circumferentially extending conductors embedded in said insulating members, but exposed in said seats, means for bridging said conductors freely carried within said spherical seats whereby electrical connection between said conductors is disrupted upon slight movement of said circuit breaker.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, on this 18th day of August, A. D. 1919.

GEORGE WASHINGTON MEYERS.

said shaft 

